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Dear Maria B, your ill-informed views on the transgender rights law are not ‘educating’ anyone

Dear Maria B, your ill-informed views on the transgender rights law are not ‘educating’ anyone

From your lack of knowledge on the subject to your patronising descriptions of trans people, your video marginalises an already marginalised community.
26 Sep, 2022

After being called out for her anti-transgender views in the past, designer Maria B has decided the internet needs a second round of her ill-informed opinions and has shared with the public a video of her and her sisters talking about the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, 2018.

Last month, she clashed horns with transgender rights activist Dr Mehrub Moiz Awan after the academic was excluded from a TEDxISL (International School Lahore) panel in a move she decried as transphobia. The designer lauded ISL’s decision to remove Awan from the panel and had some very strange justifications, including but not limited to being a concerned parent. A month later, the designer is back to give even more unasked for opinions on the Transgender Act and the ‘effect’ it has on families in Pakistan.

On Saturday, the designer, whose full name is Maria Butt, shared a video of herself and her sisters Najia and Aafia talking about the law, saying it’s a “hot topic” that they want to discuss considering that it will “affect their children”. “The first thing that one needs to do is to identify what transgender means. Who is the most famous transgender in the world? Everyone knows about Kim Kardashian and her father. He was her father first and then her mother. His name is Caitlyn Jenner,” Butt said, misgendering Jenner who goes by the pronouns she/her and misidentifying her as the ‘most famous transgender’ person in the world.

She then questioned if the act approved by lawmakers in Pakistan is for people like Jenner. “No absolutely not, this act was made for the khwaja sira community. They are intersex people and there’s a massive difference between them and transgenders. On the act that represents the marginalised community, after 70 years when we’re doing something for them, and transgenders have usurped their rights,” she said.

Before we get into what can be described as Maria B’s audition reel to be a TV show host, we’ll put forward some facts:

  • the law was enacted by parliament in 2018 to provide legal recognition to transgender persons, enshrining their rights to education, basic health facilities, the right to affirm their transgender identity on ID cards and passports, as well as the right to vote in and contest elections.
  • the opinion of the chairman of the Council for Islamic Ideology had been sought with regard to the Transgender Rights Act
  • the matter remains under discussion in parliament while the outcome of two petitions filed in the Federal Shariat Court (FSC) is awaited

Given the sensitivity and technical nature of this topic — medically, religiously, legally and socially — we’re not going to get into the actual law itself. What we’re going to be talking about is Maria B and her propensity to put herself forward as the unasked for champion of the khwaja sira community. This debate is being had in the parliament, by members of the transgender community and, soon, in the FSC. It does not need to be had by Maria B, a woman who has 369,000 followers on Instagram but no expertise in this matter.

Maria B and her sisters are not members of the khwaja sira community, so their ‘need’ to speak about for a segment that is already struggling to be heard is deeply problematic. Is it perhaps then a saviour complex which has them speaking about a community they are not part of or is it that seeing other people get basic liberties is offensive to them in some way?

That is not to say that you don’t have a right to talk about an issue in society — everyone does. You can absolutely speak up about those who have been marginalised, but don’t speak for them. You should not be jumping into a conversation that requires that community’s input and that of experts.

In a society where there is a lack of understanding and empathy for this community, don’t give your two cents on how a person can prove they are a ‘real’ transgender or khwaja sira. Talking so frivolously is equivalent to propagating hate. Let people far more learned than you talk about this so that they can actually “educate” people.

One of Maria’s sisters argued vehemently for DNA and blood tests to ‘prove’ if someone was khwaja sira, transgender or cisgender. The other argued about the merits of the law when it has no “verses from the Quran and Hadith” in it. This shows ignorance about how laws to be; there are systems in place to ensure that if and when religious guidance is required, input from learned religious bodies is sought and incorporated — as is being done right now.

When it comes to religion, we’ll leave it to Islamic scholars with expertise in Islamic jurisprudence to have this discussion. Three women without expertise in this matter (unless we’re missing their credentials on this topic) and with access to a camera and social media users cannot authoritatively weigh in on whether this law goes against ‘Islamic values’ and again, cannot speak for a community that continues to fight for its rights and faces violence while doing so.

As a Dawn editorial noted: “Members of the transgender community in the country are often at the receiving end of both their families’ and society’s censure and derision. Most are rejected and disowned by their families, while for its part, society sees them as lesser humans.”

Remember this before you weigh in on a topic this critical — this community is made fun of and ridiculed already; your flippant views and facial expressions only add to this ostracising behaviour.

Comments

Tanvir Khan Sep 26, 2022 05:51pm
Neither Pakistani law nor the people give a transgender the right to marry a man of her choice and lead a civilized and human life!!!
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Mahnoor Malik Sep 26, 2022 05:53pm
Men should not become experts on women rights. Women should not become experts on men rights. Similarly both men and women should not become experts on transgender issues. Dont become the mamas of respective fields when you dont know much about it. So Aunty Marya B is nobody for me as she is not a transgender and she or her Entitled Elite Sisters dont know the problems of transgenders in Pakistan.
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Zia Sep 26, 2022 06:15pm
Maria B is right
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Art Sep 26, 2022 06:28pm
Boycott this hypocrite! I have stopped buying her brand!
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Art Sep 26, 2022 06:31pm
Main point is this hypocrite family are against and hates LGBT community!
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sidC Sep 26, 2022 06:32pm
Very well written articles. Not only transgender act ,our people need to jump in every issues without any in depth knowledge. Not only that they always drag religion for there own benefits. Same people than blame Muslims scholars (Mullaha) if things goes south. I hope people keep there mouth shut in these kind of matters.
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Shahla Sep 26, 2022 07:34pm
Differentiating between transgender and intersex is the crux of matter. We have to protect intersex without patronizing transgender. She may not have the expertise but her views were generally correct. I am a medical doctor so know it's physiology.
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Art Sep 26, 2022 08:02pm
She is a hater and she has always spoken against LGBT people!
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Punjabi first Sep 26, 2022 08:13pm
First of all every person has a right to their opinion, but you lose that right the minute you trample on the rights of others especially those who belong to a marginalised subsection of our society. Also, I may add that the credibility of the provocotor requires closer scrutiny.
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Art Sep 26, 2022 08:26pm
This misleading mischief will not fool people who know you’re a hypocrite and against transgenders rights!
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Truth be told Sep 26, 2022 08:38pm
What a one-sided biased write up that depicts how ill-informed a person could be and how one lacks religious. medical and scientific knowledge. Maria B and her sister are partly on the right path but the writer is merely reading up online and is not reconciling the information with religious and logical interpretations.
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Sunshine Sep 26, 2022 08:49pm
Suddenly people without expertise are jumping in and making a mockery of this topic. Just for fame and publicity. What a shame.!
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Ahsan Sep 26, 2022 09:04pm
You are doing the exact thing that you are accusing Maria B of doing. And moreover, to her credit and to your discredit, you have chosen to ignore all her cogent arguments against the Bill in its current form. All u are saying is that she has no right speak. That's amazing hypocrisy on your part. I am with Maria B on this issue !
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Tariq Sep 26, 2022 09:08pm
we’re not going to get into the actual law itself then why write the article. She has right to her views. Not that I agree with her. But I agree she has the right to speak. As for transgender yes sensitive issue but not a sacred issue. Everyone can have views
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Gandhi Sep 26, 2022 09:24pm
Based on your bias point of view, no one should be taking about politics or anything that they are not directly involved in. Her argument is valid, everyone needs to be aware of the difference between transgenders and Khwaja sira. Transgenders are just trying to piggy back on laws that were meant to be only for Khwaja sira.
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M. Emad Sep 26, 2022 10:12pm
Over 100 transgender persons killed in KP in the last few years.
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Karachiite Sep 27, 2022 12:00am
Being a Doctor and a Muslim i fully endorse the views of Maria B.
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Samia Tauqeer Sep 27, 2022 01:35am
Agree with Maria B . This bill / law was made for the khwaja sara ( intersex ) community not the transgenders . There is a difference between the two . Seems like who ever made this law didnt go deep into this difference .
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Roohi Hussain Sep 27, 2022 06:42am
@Zia and you are totally wrong along with them!
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Nawab ali Sep 27, 2022 07:40am
@Mahnoor Malik , it's a nonsense point of view. Women and men should have knowledge about thier counterpart. This debate is the result of lack of knowledge.if knowledge had then such incident would not moved to the parliament and public.
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Chota Sep 27, 2022 07:41am
Why so enmity with Maria B?it is her opinion and she can have one.i think this happens and accepted in free world
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Sara Sep 27, 2022 07:42am
Maria B and her sisters are saying the right thing.
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Baloch Sep 27, 2022 08:00am
@M. Emad. Some were lucky enough to run away to India, though they pose to be living in Bangladesh.
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ST Sep 27, 2022 08:08am
I agree with Maria B. 100%.
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Ramay Sep 27, 2022 08:45am
They are totally ignored and are to be given respect. Even with peanut
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Ramaey Sep 27, 2022 08:49am
Thanks Maria for your support, we stand with you.
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Abbasi Sep 27, 2022 09:22am
@Art Oh no… anyways
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Abbasi Sep 27, 2022 09:22am
@Art Good as they should. They are following the law
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MadMax Sep 27, 2022 10:00am
She is but a small sample of wider Pakistani society
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Akil Akhtar Sep 27, 2022 10:49am
Don't like Maria B but these so called social workers who are working on some disgusting agenda are worst...
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Its me Sep 27, 2022 11:22am
@Mahnoor Malik DUMBEST justification ever!
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Its me Sep 27, 2022 11:24am
Well done Maria. B. Keep that going so that these poor souls should come to know what they are believing is not even believed in MARS!
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MAK Sep 27, 2022 12:08pm
@Akil Akhtar hear hear
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ENGR Hamid Shafiq Sep 27, 2022 12:43pm
Cheap publicity
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Sadaf Sep 27, 2022 01:51pm
@Shahla I agree. Intersex and transgender are two different entities separated by biology and psychology. One can’t argue against that.
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Farhana Sep 27, 2022 03:26pm
@Shahla "It's" physiology? Are you using "it" pronoun for transgender people??
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Zedd Sep 27, 2022 05:05pm
Why is Images arguing against something that is clearly prohibited in Islam? In the Islamic faith, you're only allowed to "transition" if you're born intersex. Intersex people should be given rights, is what I can agree on and these are the people who should have our attention. Of course, we should be tolerant of transgender people but to take part in their delusion and ideology is clearly wrong. Appropriating women is not okay.
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